Medical tourism is here to stay, but people everywhere demand high standards and quality of care, as they should. When it comes to accreditation and certification of health care experience, the Medical Tourism Association, a fairly new global healthcare service organization new to the U.S. but growing exponentially, verifies a certain number of answers when it comes to specific questions regarding such experience. For example, here is a sampling of just a few of the issues any facility will need to answer on the certification application for 2009-2010:

·         Company’s health care experience

·         Facility or applicant has a medical advisor on staff

·         Languages spoken

·         Applicant defines which services are outsourced on their website

·         Applicant able to comply with HIPAA or privacy laws of other states, provinces or countries

·         Provide evidence of quality commitment

·         Names of all hospitals or clinics where surgical procedures are performed

·         Applicant inspected all surgical facilities to where patients are sent

·         Describes acceptable standards of patient “handling” from initial contact to final follow-up

·         Ease of travel arrangements, adequate travel packages, flight assistance and guides available for patients upon arrival to medical tourism destination

·         Proof that applicant has not had complaints or suits filed against them by patients, surgeons, hospitals or by embassies

Additional information for certification involves a searchable history of certification in other organizations and associations as well as contact information. Medical tourism must provide excellent, experienced healthcare providers for global travelers. The MTA (Medical Tourism Association) is on the right track to providing such assurance.